International and Amateur Draft Bonus Numbers Released

Jim Callis has posted the bonus pool amounts for the 2014 amateur draft and international signings. Due to their finish in the standings, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the bottom 1/3 of each list.

For the draft pool, the Pirates will have $5,606,100 to spend on their picks in the first ten rounds combined. That ranks them 21st overall. The Pirates pick 24th overall and they also have a competitive balance pick after the second round. They select 65th and 74th overall. As Callis explains, these numbers could change slightly if Stephen Drew and/or Kendrys Morales sign with a team before the draft starts.

As for the international signing period, which begins on July 2nd, the Pirates rank 26th overall. They will have $1,930,400 to spend. That shouldn't be a problem for the Pirates, as they have had success finding hidden gems like Starling Marte($85,000) and Gregory Polanco for $150k. They tend to shy away from the higher priced players, sticking to mid-range six figure bonuses, whil...

John was born in Kearny, NJ, hometown of the 2B for the Pirates 1909 World Championship team, Dots Miller. In fact they have some of the same relatives in common, so it was only natural for him to become a lifelong Pirates fan. Before joining Pirates Prospects in July 2010, John had written numerous articles on the history of baseball while also releasing his own book and co-authoring another on the history of the game. He writes a weekly article on Pirates history for the site, has already interviewed many of the current minor leaguers with many more on the way and follows the foreign minor league teams very closely for the site. John also provides in person game reports of the West Virginia Power and Altoona Curve.